PORTLAND, Maine - A special fire safety task force established by the city of Portland has held its first meeting. The panel was set up in response to the deadly fire in a downtown duplex last month that killed six people.
Wednesday's gathering was the first of three planned meetings this month to review city codes and ordinances. City officials, including representatives from the planning, inspections and fire departments, were joined by an outside consultant - Boston Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Fleming.
Fleming observed that many residential buildings in Portland are only subject to inspections in response to a complaint, which indicates that any future strategy must have a strong emphasis on educating the public.
"The complaint-driven system will be more effective the more educated the people who might complain are," Fleming said.
The group also discussed the possibility of moving to a more pro-active inspection model. The task force is due to meet six more times before delivering draft recommendations to the City's Public Safety and Health and Human Services Committee in February.
